Police officer slaps handcuffed woman in Nivelles: mayor demands explanations
A video shows a police officer slapping a handcuffed woman during an arrest in Nivelles. Mayor Bernard De Ro describes the action as "unjustified" and an internal inquiry has been opened.
Slap during arrest in Nivelles: internal inquiry opened
A video circulating on social media shows a handcuffed woman in front of the entrance to a police van in Nivelles, surrounded by several officers. As she delays getting into the vehicle, a police officer addresses her verbally, then slaps her in the face before pushing her inside, according to RTBF Info.
The excerpt alone does not allow a complete reconstruction of all the circumstances that preceded the sequence. The exact date of the events has not yet been established.
Contacted after the video was released, the mayor of Nivelles, Bernard De Ro, indicates he contacted police services as soon as the images were posted online. An internal inquiry has been opened to determine precisely how the intervention unfolded and the context in which the officer's action took place.
De Ro nevertheless makes a preliminary judgment on what he saw. "In my opinion, it is not justified," he states regarding the reaction of the officer visible in the excerpt.
The inquiry must in particular establish what happened before the video began, in order to place the sequence in its full context. The conclusions of this internal procedure are expected to shed light on the exact circumstances of the arrest.
Source: RTBF Info